U.S. patent application number 12/160729 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-05 for group communications.
This patent application is currently assigned to HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.. Invention is credited to Sebastien Bouat, Jehan Monnier.
Application Number | 20090037568 12/160729 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36592862 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090037568 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bouat; Sebastien ; et
al. |
February 5, 2009 |
GROUP COMMUNICATIONS
Abstract
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided apparatus for use with a group communication network
having an addressing database, the apparatus being addressable by a
user terminal connected to the network, the apparatus comprising: a
receiver module for receiving an invitation from a user terminal
connected to the network, the receiving means being arranged to
accept the invitation to cause the user terminal and the apparatus
to establish a communication, a data retrieval module for obtaining
details of one or more users to be added to the communication, the
details of being obtained from other than the addressing database,
and a communication module for adding at least one user to the
communication using the obtained details.
Inventors: |
Bouat; Sebastien; (St Martin
d'Uriage, FR) ; Monnier; Jehan; (Grenoble,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEWLETT PACKARD COMPANY
P O BOX 272400, 3404 E. HARMONY ROAD, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ADMINISTRATION
FORT COLLINS
CO
80527-2400
US
|
Assignee: |
HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT
COMPANY, L.P.
|
Family ID: |
36592862 |
Appl. No.: |
12/160729 |
Filed: |
January 3, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
January 3, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP07/50020 |
371 Date: |
September 17, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/223 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 84/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/223 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/173 20060101
G06F015/173 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 27, 2006 |
EP |
06300076.4 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for use with a group communication network having an
addressing database, the apparatus being addressable by a user
terminal connected to the network, the apparatus comprising: a
receiver module for receiving an invitation from a user terminal
connected to the network, the receiving means being arranged to
accept the invitation to cause the user terminal and the apparatus
to establish a communication; a data retrieval module for obtaining
details of one or more users to be added to the communication, the
details being obtained from other than the addressing database; and
a communication module for adding at least one user to the
communication using the obtained details.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, the communication module being further
arranged to remove the apparatus from the communication once at
least one user has been added to the communication.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising, where the obtained
details are not in a format addressable by the network, resolving
the details into a form addressable by the network.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further
comprises a storage medium for storing pre-fetched details of the
one or more users addressable by the network.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, arranged for use where the group
communication network is a push-to-talk, push-to-talk over cellular
network or instant messaging network.
6. A method, for use with a user agent addressable through a group
communication network having an addressing database, for enabling a
user terminal of the network to establish a communication with one
or more other users, comprising: receiving from a user an
invitation to add the user agent to the communication; accepting
the invitation to cause the communication to be established;
obtaining details of or more or more users to be added to the
communication, the details being obtained from other than the
addressing database; and adding at least one user to the
communication using the obtained details.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the user agent
removing itself from the communication once at least one user has
been added to the communication.
8. The method of claim 6, further comprising, where the obtained
details are not in a format addressable by the network, resolving
the obtained details into a form addressable by the network.
9. The method of claim 6, further comprising pre-fetching the
details of the one or more users addressable by the network and
storing the pre-fetched details.
10. The method of claim 6, adapted for use with a push-to-talk,
push-to-talk over cellular, or instant messaging network.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of
group communications.
[0002] In group communication systems, such as push-to-talk (also
known as push-to-talk over cellular or PoC) and instant messaging,
a user of a suitable user terminal is able to establish a
communication and communicate with one or more members of a group
in an easy manner.
[0003] In push-to-talk (PTT) each user manages a buddy list
containing one or more buddies or groups of buddies with whom they
may establish communications. In PTT the buddy list is not stored
locally on the user's terminal device but on a network-based
addressing database referred to in PTT as a group/list management
server (GLMS). The GLMS is typically tightly coupled to a presence
server enabling the presence status of each member in a buddy list
to be obtained and displayed on a user terminal.
[0004] When a user switches on their user terminal the user's buddy
list is obtained and downloaded from the GLMS to the user terminal,
thereby enabling the user to establish a communication with any
buddy, or group of buddies, in the buddy list.
[0005] In PTT systems the GLMS is the central element in each
network through which all group and list information is managed.
However, the PTT specifications do not provide any mechanism for
enabling access to any other kinds of group or list servers or
databases other than a GLMS. One of the downsides of this is that
there is typically a large amount of existing group and list
information stored in repositories other than GLMSs which is,
therefore, inaccessible to PTT users. For example, in an enterprise
or enterprise environment details of individual employees are
typically available in a lightweight directory access protocol
(LDAP) server maintained by the business IT department. Through
such an LDAP server any employee may typically obtain, using a
suitable interface, for example, the email address, telephone
number, location code, and so on, of any other employee.
Additionally, distribution lists, such as email distribution lists
may also be stored in an LDAP server.
[0006] Although it is technically possible for an enterprise IT
department to duplicate all or part of the data stored in an LDAP
server in a GLMS, to thereby make enterprise data available in the
GLMS, it is generally considered to be inconvenient and troublesome
to do so. For example, maintaining two identical lists in two
separate and different environments typically results in the lists
deviating from one another and being difficult to maintain
synchronisation.
[0007] Accordingly, one aim of the present invention is overcome,
or at least alleviate, at least some of the above-mentioned
problems.
[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there
is provided apparatus for use with a group communication network
having an addressing database, the apparatus being addressable by a
user terminal connected to the network. The apparatus comprises a
receiver module for receiving an invitation from a user terminal
connected to the network, the receiving means being arranged to
accept the invitation to cause the user terminal and the apparatus
to establish a communication, a data retrieval module for obtaining
details of one or more users to be added to the communication, the
details being obtained from other than the addressing database, and
a communication module for adding at least one user to the
communication using the obtained details.
[0009] Advantageously, the apparatus enables a user terminal, such
as a push-to-talk user terminal, to access group or list
information stored outside of the group communication network in a
simple and efficient manner, without requiring any modification to
either the user terminals or the group communication system.
[0010] Suitably, the communication module is arranged to remove the
apparatus from the communication once at least one user has been
added to the communication.
[0011] Where the obtained details are not in a format addressable
by the network, the apparatus may resolve the obtained details into
a form addressable by the network.
[0012] The apparatus further may further comprise a storage medium
for storing pre-fetched details of the one or more users
addressable by the network.
[0013] The apparatus may be suitably arranged for use where the
group communication network is a push-to-talk, push-to-talk over
cellular network or instant messaging network.
[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method, for use with a user agent addressable through
a group communication network having an addressing database, for
enabling a user terminal of the network to establish a
communication with one or more other users. The method comprises
receiving from a user an invitation to add the user agent to the
communication, accepting the invitation to cause the communication
to be established, obtaining details of or more or more users to be
added to the communication, the details being obtained from other
than the addressing database, and adding at least one user to the
communication using the obtained details.
[0015] The method may further comprise the user agent removing
itself from the communication once at least one user has been added
to the communication.
[0016] The method may further comprise, where the obtained details
are not in a format addressable by the network, resolving the
obtained details into a form addressable by the network.
[0017] The method may further comprise pre-fetching the details of
the one or more users addressable by the network and storing the
pre-fetched details.
[0018] Suitably, the method may be adapted for use with a
push-to-talk, push-to-talk over cellular, or instant messaging
network.
[0019] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way
of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a typical
push-to-talk system according to the prior art;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a push-to-talk
system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram outlining example processing steps
that may be taken by a virtual user agent according to one
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0023] FIG. 4 is a message flow diagram outlining example messages
which may flow between different elements of the system 200
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a system 100
according to the prior art. The system includes a push-to-talk
network 108 through which user terminals 102, 104 and 106 may
communicate. The PTT network 108 is controlled and managed by a PTT
server 111 in a conventional manner. Address details of each of the
user terminals 102, 104 and 106 are held in a group/list management
server (GLMS) 110 within the PTT network 108 enabling each
respective user of each respective user terminal 102, 104 and 106
to enter into communication with each other.
[0025] Separate from the PTT network 108 is a conventional
enterprise information technology (IT) network 112. Such a network
may be used, for example, to enable enterprise computers and
computer hardware to communicate with each other in a conventional
manner. As part of the network 112 a lightweight directory access
protocol (LDAP) server 114 is provided. The LDAP server 114, for
example, may contain a list of all of the email addresses,
telephone numbers, location codes, employment status, etc. of each
employee of the enterprise, as well as additional information such
as email distribution lists and the like.
[0026] As previously mentioned, an employee of the enterprise, for
example the user of the user terminal 106, is unable, using PTT, to
access information, such as lists information, in the LDAP server
114 of the enterprise network 112, and is thus unable to establish
a PTT communication with any other employee, or group of employees,
unless that employee, or group, information has been made available
to the GLMS 110 of the PTT network 108. As previously mentioned, it
is generally undesirable for an enterprise IT department to manage
duplicated lists on both the LDAP 114 and on the GLMS 110.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 2 is shown a simplified block diagram
showing a system according to an embodiment of the present
invention. FIG. 2 is essentially the same as FIG. 1, and like
references indicate like elements. In addition to the elements of
FIG. 1 is additionally provided a virtual user agent 202 according
to an embodiment of the present invention, which is described in
more detail below. Additional reference is made to FIG. 3 which is
a flow diagram outlining example processing steps taken by the
virtual user agent 202, and FIG. 4 which is a message flow diagram
outlining example messages which may flow between different
elements of the system 200 according to an embodiment of the
present invention. It should be noted that the messages shown in
FIG. 4 do not necessarily represent messages of any particular
protocol, but are used to illustrate in a general manner the type
of messages that may be sent.
[0028] The virtual user agent 202 appears to the PTT network 108 as
a conventional PTT user terminal, such as the PTT terminals 102,
104 and 106. In other words, the virtual user agent 202 has an
address in a format suitable for the PTT network 108 and is
addressable by another terminal of the network. For example, the
virtual user agent may have a SIP address and be connected to the
PTT network 108 via a suitable Internet protocol (IP) network. In
this way a user of a user terminal, such as the user terminal 102,
104 or 106, may store the address details of the virtual user agent
202 in their buddy list in the GLMS 110 thereby enabling the user
to establish a communication with the virtual user agent 202 in the
conventional manner. As is well known in the art, a PTT
communication may be established by selecting the address of a
user, buddy or group of buddies, with whom it is desired to
establish a communication, and activating a suitable user interface
feature to cause an invitation, such as the Invite-type message
402, to be sent to the desired user or users.
[0029] The virtual user agent 202 may be a suitable computer
program or application running on a suitable computing device such
as a computer server of the IT network 112. Alternatively the
virtual user agent 202 may run on a suitable computer server of the
PTT network 108 or a different, unrelated computing device.
[0030] As previously mentioned the LDAP server 114 contains
directory information relating to employees of the enterprise to
which the IT network 112 belongs. In addition to information about
individual employees, the LDAP server 114 additionally contains one
or more email distribution lists. Such email distribution lists are
generated by an administrator of the IT network 112 to facilitate
the sending of email messages to groups of employees or members.
For email, the LDAP server 114 may contain an email distribution
group named "DL_All_Finance_Employees" containing the email
addresses of every employee of the enterprise working in the
finance department. Thus, in the present example, an email sent to
the addressee "DL_All_Finance_Employees" would cause an email
server handling the outgoing email to interrogate the LDAP sever
114, to obtain the individual email addresses of every member of
the distribution list, and to send an email to each employee in the
finance department.
[0031] In one embodiment the virtual user agent 202 is attributed
an address representative of a distribution list stored in the LDAP
server 114. For example, in the present example the address of the
virtual user agent 202 may be attributed as
SIP:DL_All_Finance_Employees@hp.com
[0032] The LDAP server 114 may also contain other group or list
information as appropriate.
[0033] To access information not stored in the GLMS of the PTT
network 108 a user, such as the user of the user terminal 102,
invites the virtual user agent 202 to a PTT communication, for
example by causing the user terminal 102 to send an Invite-type
message 402 to the PTT server 111. The PTT server 111 receives the
Invite message 402 and forwards an Invite message 403 to the
virtual user agent 202.
[0034] The virtual user agent 202 receives the Invite message 403,
step 302, through a suitable receiver module (not shown), and is
arranged, again through the receiver module, to automatically
accept the incoming invitation, step 303, and does so by responding
to the PTT server 111 with an Accept-type message 404. The PTT
server 111 forwards the Accept message 404 to the user terminal 102
as Accept message 405. Once the communication has been accepted the
virtual user agent 202 obtains, using a suitable data retrieval
module (not shown), (step 304 and messages 406 and 408) from the
LDAP server 114 a list of one or more entries therein.
[0035] The virtual user agent 202 may be configured to obtain
information from the LDAP in numerous different ways. For example,
in the present embodiment the virtual user agent 202 is configured
by an administrator of the IT network 112 to have the address
SIP:DL_All_Finance_Employees@hp.com. The virtual user agent 202 is
thus configured to retrieve details of the email distribution list
DL_All_Finance_Employees. If the LDAP server 114 also stores SIP
addresses for each entry the virtual user agent 202 is preferably
arranged to obtain the SIP address of each member of the
distribution list. If, however, the LDAP server 114 does not
contain SIP addresses for each member of the distribution list the
virtual user agent 202 is preferably arranged to obtain the email
addresses of each member of the distribution list.
[0036] If the virtual user agent 202 does not obtain a SIP address
from the LDAP server 114 an address resolution (step 306) is
required to obtain, if available, the corresponding SIP address.
The address resolution of an email address to a SIP address may be
achieved, for example, by prefixing each email address with "SIP:"
for systems in which employees are allocated an email address in
the form firstname.surname@enterprisedomainname, and a SIP address
in the form SIP:firstname.surname@enterprisedomainname. If this is
not the case, a known address resolution module (not shown) may be
interrogated to perform the address resolution.
[0037] Once the required addresses have been obtain and/or
appropriately resolved into valid SIP addresses the virtual user
agent adds (step 308), through a suitable communication module (not
shown), the obtained SIP addresses to the current communication
with the user terminal 102. This may be achieved, for example, by
the virtual user agent 202 sending a mid-call-add type message
(410, 414) to the PTT server 111 to cause the user terminals 104
and 106 to be invited (messages 412 and 416) to the current
communication.
[0038] Once the user terminals 104 and 106 have been added to the
communication the virtual user agent 202 can remove itself (step
310) from the communication by sending a terminate-type message 418
to the PTT server 111. Upon receipt of this message the PTT server
111 forwards the terminate message as messages 420, 422 and 424 to
user terminals 102, 104 and 106 respectively, and the virtual user
agent 202 is effectively removed from the communication, whilst the
user terminals 102, 104 and 106 remain in the communication.
[0039] In this way, the user of the user terminal 102 can establish
a push-to-talk communication with one or more members of a group,
details of which are stored outside of the GLMS 110 of the PTT
network 108.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment the virtual user agent 202 is
arranged to perform the steps 302 to 310 automatically, without
requiring any human or other manual intervention.
[0041] The above-mentioned receiver module, data retrieval module
and communication module, may be suitably provided as appropriate
computer programs, computer software, software objects, and the
like.
[0042] Alternatively, the virtual user agent 202 may pre-fetch and
obtain any necessary address resolution prior to receiving an
invitation to a communication. In this case the step 304 of
obtaining address may be arranged to obtain the addresses from a
storage medium internal to the virtual user agent 202, such as an
internal memory or other internal or externally accessible storage
device.
[0043] In a further embodiment the virtual user agent 202 may be
pre-configured with one or more SIP addresses of users with whom
the user of a terminal, such as the user terminal 102, 104 and 106,
wishes to establish a communication.
[0044] For example, the user of the user terminal 102 may use a web
interface (not shown) to configure one or more SIP addresses in the
virtual user agent 202. In this way, the virtual user agent 202
becomes a user configurable user agent for enabling the user to
establish a communication with one or more preconfigured users
simply by inviting or adding the virtual user agent to a
communication.
[0045] In a yet further embodiment a user is able to access group
and list information stored in the GLMS of a foreign PTT network,
in a similar manner to that described above, by accessing a virtual
user agent operated either by user's home PTT network or by a
foreign PTT network.
[0046] Whilst the above non-limiting embodiments have been
described with reference to push-to-talk communications, those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described
embodiments could be suitably modified for use with other group
communication systems, such as instant messaging systems and the
like. Reference herein to LDAP servers is not limited thereto, and
access may be suitably made to any appropriate database, data
store, or other appropriate data repository.
* * * * *